Thursday, April 30, 2015

Well the nasty hard rain showers we had last night caused my morning tennis game to be canceled but the day was not bad….after breakfast I went and helped Linda and Connie at the house..we all worked hard and then I came back to the house where I am staying or I should say tried to come back to the house…traffic was nuts the transit police had closed most of the roads down town and it took me over 30 minutes to go about 10 blocks they would not you pass found out later there was a big bicycle race taking place.

I had two hours of tennis at 4 o clock with the same couple and it was another nice time….I just love my hours on the tennis courts.

Staying home tonight I have some commuters work to do and then going to watch a movie.

This story below is about of the biggest sporting events to take place on Saturday!!!!

Mayweather v Pacquiao: All you need to know about the big fight

By Ben Dirs BBC Sport in Las Vegas

Mayweather v Pacquiao

This weekend, American legend Floyd Mayweather will fight Philippine great Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It's a bout so big that everybody is talking about it - so it's probably best you know your stuff.

And be sure to keep this in your pocket at all times if you are attending a dinner party between now and Saturday - you don't want to look like a complete idiot.

Why all the hype?

In short, because Mayweather and Pacquiao are widely recognised as the two best boxers in the world - and it is a rare thing to have two all-time greats fighting in the same weight division at the same time.

Back in the 1980s, arguably the sport's last golden age in the United States, such match-ups were regular occurrences.

How big is it?

In financial terms, the biggest ever. By miles. Given the myriad revenue streams involved, it is impossible to say how much each fighter will walk away with once the fighting is done.

But it is estimated that once the accountants have done their work, Mayweather will pocket about £90m ($140-$150m) and Pacquiao £60m ($90m-$100m).

That the fight will generate so much money is largely down to the fact that American boxing fans will have to pay almost $100 (£65) to watch the action.

Mayweather-Pacquiao will shatter the records for pay-per-view buys (2.5m for Mayweather versus De la Hoya in 2007) and pay-per-view revenue ($152m for Mayweather versus Saul Alvarez in 2013).

The live gate at the 16,000-capacity MGM Grand Arena will be $74m, more than triple the previous record and more than this year's Super Bowl, which was watched by 70,000.

Tickets on the resale market are changing hands for six-figure sums, with most of that money finding its way back to the boxers.

Throw in foreign television money, sponsorship and merchandising and you're looking at double the gross domestic product of the Pacific nation of Kiribati.

What else is at stake?

In boxing terms, Mayweather's WBC and WBA welterweight titles and the WBO title owned by Pacquiao.

Also on the line is Mayweather's unbeaten record, while you could argue that Pacquiao doesn't have as much to lose.

Their fight will also go a long way to defining each other's careers: whoever wins will be able to claim they were the greatest fighter of their era, rightly or wrongly. As for the loser, there will be an awful lot of soul-searching to do.

Did they need the money?

In a word, no. Mayweather, who goes by the nickname Money, is already worth $295m (£192m) and earned $105m last year. Pacquiao, a relative pauper, is worth $110m (£71.2m).

Mayweather's annual earnings in 2014 topped all other leading sports stars

Mayweather has banked more than $400m from boxing over his 19-year career and has been the highest-earning athlete in the world for the past three years. Pacquiao's feats in the ring across two decades have earned him $263m.

Mayweather's primary residence is a 22,000 square-foot, custom-built mansion in Las Vegas, although he also has a house in Miami.

He also owns two fleets of cars - a black fleet in Vegas, a white fleet in Miami - and his collection includes a couple of Bugattis worth more than $1m each.

He is also the proud owner of a 14-passenger private jet. Oh, and he only wears his trainers once.

Mayweather revels in his nickname 'Money' - and is estimated to be worth $295m (£192m)

PacMan still has a relatively modest abode in his home town of General Santos City, although he did recently splash $12.5m on a gaff in Beverley Hills.

Have they always been so lucky?

Both men had troubled childhoods. Mayweather was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, into a family of boxers - father and trainer Floyd Sr was a welterweight contender and uncle Roger a world champion.

Pacquiao's family of seven lived in a cardboard shack in the poverty-stricken province of Sarangani in the Philippines.

He scrounged for food and on some days only drank water. He quit school at 10 and ran away at 15, after his father ate his dog.

For a while, Pacquiao slept rough on the mean streets of Manila.

But like many poor boys before and since, Pacquiao turned to boxing to feed his family, fighting for $2 a pop in the early days.

Is there more to the fight than cash?

Mayweather says no. And not surprisingly, there are those who find Mayweather's slavish devotion to Mammon somewhat distasteful.

As such, his fight against Pacquiao - who was raised a Christian but was only recently born again - is being billed by some as a battle between good and evil.

Some commentators have noted that this fight lacks greatness because it lacks a cultural dimension.

This is wide of the mark. Mayweather is rampant capitalism personified, as much a reflection of his era as Muhammad Ali in the 1960s.

As well as being a terrible braggart, Mayweather, a father of four, has also been a very bad boy. In 2011, he was sentenced to three months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting his girlfriend at the time.

However, his stint behind bars was delayed on the grounds that the cancellation of his scheduled bout with Puerto Rico's Cotto would have cost the city of Las Vegas in the region of $100m.

Pacquiao is a more likeable individual. Witness his recent duet with movie star Will Ferrell on an American chat show, or a very amusing advert for a footwear company. Despite his many millions, Pacquiao just seems like a nice, humble bloke.

But Pacquiao has a dark side. He has admitted to adultery in the past - his wife, Jinkee, mother of his five children, was moved to tears when talking about it in a recent documentary - and in 2013 his assets were frozen in the Philippines after it was alleged he owed $50m in taxes. It should be noted, both men do a lot of work for charity.

Will it be a good fight?

The smart money is on the fight going the full 12 rounds - and on Mayweather being awarded the decision. And many think those 12 rounds will disappoint.

Mayweather is essentially a defensive boxer and has never been overly concerned about entertaining the fans. Pacquiao, on the other hand, is an all-action fighter - which could play right into Mayweather's hands.

If Pacquiao chooses a plan of all-out attack, then Mayweather could pick his rival off and win easily. If Pacquiao is more educated, which is more likely, then things could be more intriguing. If both men show each other too much respect, then we could be in for a very dull 12 rounds indeed.

Who wins?

According to almost every expert you talk to, Mayweather. Hatton, who lost to both men, calls Mayweather "a genius".

Hatton's fellow Brit Amir Khan, who wants to fight the winner, also believes Mayweather will be too clever.

However, Pacquiao does have some heavyweight backing, with former world champions George Foreman and Mike Tyson both picking him to win it.

What next?

If it's a decent fight, then they will probably do it all again in September.

Mayweather says he only has one more fight left in him - although with Rocky Marciano's record of 49 fights undefeated in his sights, he might fight on.

Whether Pacquiao chooses to fight on might depend on if he loses and the nature of that defeat.

He has a political career - he became a congressman in the Philippines in 2010 - and that might be his focus from Saturday onwards.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

I could tell you that I again woke up to a lovely sunny and warm morning but it would be an untruth…the skies were gloomy and rain showers on and off and it was a bit cooler….Linda and her friend Connie are arriving tonight to stay for a week so I made sure the house looks lovely and I am staying at another friend’s house for the week, they are away so it works out their house is closer to centro…..

This afternoon I was at poker and that loss that I suffered last week was just a blip as I returned to winning ways with 135 pesos…

On the way home I had a problem with the car there was a noise coming underneath from the front when I went over the Toes(seed bumps) so I pulled into a mechanics shop I had used before and he looked at it jacked it up

he found that the cover that goes under the car to keep rocks and other stuff from going into the engine, I am sure there is a name for it, anyway it was broken and hanging down…he was underneath in a flash with hammer, screwdriver and plastic tabs and a few minutes later all fixed..it was the outrageous rice of 50 pesos not even 4 dollars!!!

So order is restored because I watched a great hockey game tonight and now waiting for Linda to arrive….

My friend Ann sent me this!!!

Things to know

In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have 'the rule of thumb'------------ Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden'.. .and thus, the word GOLF entered into the English language. ------------ The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone------------ Coca-Cola was originally green.------------ It is impossible to lick your elbow. ------------ The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: £ 10,120.00 ------------ The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.------------ Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades - King David Hearts - Charlemagne Clubs -Alexander, the Great Diamonds - Julius Caesar------------ 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321------------ If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes ------------ Q.. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'? A. One thousand------------ Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common? A. All were invented by women.------------ Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil? A. Honey------------ In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. He nce the phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight' ------------ It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.------------ In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts.... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down. It's where we get the phrase: 'mi nd your P's and Q's'------------ Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice. ------------ At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!------------ Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mni d deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? ------------ YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2011 when...1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave. 2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your fam ily of three.4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses. 6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your mobile phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries... 7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen 8. Leaving the house without your mobile phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : ) 12 You're reading this and nodding and laughing.13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.14. You are too busy to notice there was no 9 on this list. 15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a 9 on this listYashi Kochi!!!!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Well today was tennis day two hours of great tennis this morning and then home for lunch and then off to see Rita I always enjoy the Tuesday’s with her and then Roger comes over and we laugh and play cards and we let Rita win!!!!! Again I might add.

So for a change I went back to the tennis courts for another two hours of great tennis this was different it was a mixed doubles and I played with my friend Diane against Maria and her husband Lois I have not played with them before they are a Mexican couple and great tennis players we had lots of fun.

On the next court nice to see this

Came home and the soak in the tub filled with Epsom salts was wonderful.

So what is the calamity you might ask…..today is the first day in three weeks when there there is not a hockey game on TV…what is a guy supposed to do I ask you!!!!!!!

Rita sent me an e mail yesterday with the word serendipity in it I like that word and realize how my life is filled with these moments.

serendipity

In general, serendipity is the act of finding something valuable or delightful when you are not looking for it. In information technology, serendipity often plays a part in the recognition of a new product need or in solving a design problem. Web surfing can be an occasion for serendipity since you sometimes come across a valuable or interesting site when you are looking for something else.

The term was coined by English writer Horace Walpole on January 28, 1754, in a letter written to Horace Mann. He credited it to a "silly fairy tale" he once read called 'The Three Princes of Serendip'.

According to the fairy tale, three Persian princes sailed off to make their fortunes in the "land of silk", an island called Serendip . (Today, the island is known as Sri Lanka.) Along the way, the princes made all types of wondrous and delightful discoveries about the island, and learned things they never expected. One such learning was purported to be the discovery that a mule blind in its right eye had recently traveled the same road. This was discovered when they noticed that the grass had been eaten only on the left side of the road.

The term is also sometimes used to mean "the randomness of fate," as in "whatever happens to cross my desk today."

Monday, April 27, 2015

I will not subject you to all the errands and appointments I had today but just let me tell you I left the house at 9am and was back at 1 o clock and then out again at 2.30 and just got back now at 8.30pm

It was a good day because I manage to accomplish lots of things and then tonight I had arranged to take my English students from last year out for dinner to celebrate their graduation.

On the way to town the traffic was stopped and then I saw this sight and thought neat another celebration..

It was not until they had gone by that I realized it was not a celebration….

We had a wonderful time at dinner these girls have been an important part of my life for two years and they were my first students…..now after six years they have graduated and I shall always be proud of them…

Sunday, April 26, 2015

woke up at 7am to get ready for the usual Sunday hike when I felt like not hiking today…I have a really busy week coming up and I needed to do things at the house so I e mailed Pierre and told him I was sorry but would not join him today…I then made some breakfast and settled down in front of the TV and started to watch a great soccer game from England…a while later the phone rand and it was a friend inviting me to play mixed doubles in one hour and of course I was up for that…..

Went down to the courts for 11am and we had a great two hours of tennis which I really enjoyed and then we all went to a very small restaurant close by and had delicious French Toast

I then came home and did some house chores and late afternoon I got another call inviting me down to see a fiesta taking place in a small Colonia of town…..I found out that this was a celebration of Santa Cruz and the locals were taking the cross from one church to another church a few blocks away…enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the whole affair…the Mexican people sure know how to hold a celebration…

These guys were in charge of the fire works and crackers…

Love this shot of the old lady

If you go back to yesterday’s blog you will see a photo of Margarita and myself and here she is today, doesn’t she look gorgeous!!!!

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Breakfast with soccer on the TV was my start to the day and then off to the tennis courts for 2 hours of great tennis….then to the Farmer’s Market and then to go visit friends for a while before coming home around 3 o clock.

Managed to relax for a while and then went at 6 pm to school for the Formal Graduation ceremony and what a joy it was to see so many students from all 6 levels receive their year end certificates…..

Margarita, Martha and Andrea my students from last year!!!

Matilde and her two daughters, again Matilde was my student last year!!

My student this year Blanca with her daughter and grandchildren!!!

A beautiful setting

I like this shot..check out the balcony where the two angles meet and what do you see……

Vasilico the school’s coordinator…

This beautiful young lady is the daughter of one of my students Fernando and she would always come to my classroom after class and I always had a little treat for her…she took level one with her Mother!!!

This is the last time in school for these fine ladies my students from last year left to right…Matilde, Martha, Margarita, Gabe and Andrea…they are so wonderful!!!

My class this year unfortunately a lot of them were not able to attend

Javier and his lovely wife!!

It was an evening I shall not forget and these two years teaching have been such a special time for me.

I was home just in time for the drop of the puck in game 6 of the series between the Canucks and the Flames…….if the Canucks win they force a deciding game 7 but if they loose the are eliminated….

The Canucks got off to a wonderful start skating out to a 3 – 0 lead in the first ten minutes……..but the Flames came back to tie the game only to fall behind again and then tie it up and with three minutes left the Flames scored and then two more to win the series and to advance with a 7 – 4 win

I do wish Heather and Croft would listen to my predictions how many years do I have to keep doing this!!!!

Friday, April 24, 2015

This will be a quick and easy post…stayed home most of the day doing all sorts of things and then this evening went for a quick visit with Rita and then went to the new playhouse and saw the production of Steel Magnolias…..my hiking buddy Pierre got a ticket for me and the show was very well acted and the set great…..a really good night just sorry there were not too many people in the audience.

Enjoy this!!!!!

Understanding EngineersTwo engineering students were biking across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?"The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want."The first engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice: The clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway."

Understanding Engineers #2To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty.

To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Understanding Engineers #3A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers.The engineer fumed, "What's with those guys? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!"The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!"The priest said, "Here comes the greens-keeper. Let's have a word with him."He said, "Hello George, What's wrong with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?"The greens-keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind firemen. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime!" The group fell silent for a moment.

The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."

The doctor said, "Good idea. I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything she can do for them."The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?"

Understanding Engineers #5The graduate with a science degree asks, "Why does it work?"The graduate with an engineering degree asks, "How does it work?"The graduate with an accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?"The graduate with an arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?”

Understanding Engineers #6Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

Understanding Engineers #7An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess."He bent over, picked up the frog, and put it in his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn back into a beautiful princess and stay with you for one week."The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want."

Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want.Why won't you kiss me?"The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog? Now that's cool!"

And Finally: Two engineers ?

Two engineers were standing at the base of a flagpole, looking at its top.A woman walked by and asked what they were doing.

"We're supposed to find the height of this flagpole," said Sven, "but we don't have a ladder."The woman took a wrench from her purse, loosened a couple of bolts, and laid the pole down on the ground. Then she took a tape measure from her pocketbook, took a measurement, announced, "Twenty one feet, six inches," and walked away.One engineer shook his head and laughed, "A lot of good that does us. We ask for the height and she gives us the length!"Both engineers have since quit their engineering jobs and are currently serving as elected members of Congress.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Had a great two hours of tennis this morning what a wonderful way to start the day…did some more errands in town(do you know anybody that has more errands in town than me)

I had no plans for the afternoon so after lunch I found my lounge chair, my book, my ice tea and yes my chips….and relaxed outside in the back garden……

Tonight was the big dinner for our Mexican students….Maggie and Giff who teach them Thursday nights and I planned to take they out to dinner and treat them as a farewell graduation gift….we met at Hecho’s a lovely restaurant which I had booked and I requested that we have a waitress or waiter who spoke really good English because the “rules” for tonight are that they look and order from the English menu and speak only in English and if anyone speaks Spanish I have a small cup in which I shall collect 5 pesos!!!!

It was just a brilliant evening as you can tell.

It was just a magical night we all enjoyed ourselves and the students presented us with a beautiful flower arrangement and wonderful glass Mexican case with truffles….they are so thoughtful!!!!!

I know I say it almost every week but these folks are amazing they take three evenings from their very hectic lives, work and family and come to class…….Since September I see a huge difference in their confidence level and their language skills what a delight they have been.

They have their formal Graduation on Saturday at the school and they still have one more year to go….good luck I have so enjoyed every single one of you and you are all now my special friends.

As an aside my students from last year are also graduating and they will have completed the full course they are also having a party tonight to which they kindly invited me but because I cannot go I have arranged to meet the 5 lovely ladies on Monday night and I will treat them to dinner.

Timed my arrival at home for the start of a huge Hockey game between the Canucks and my Flames……

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Beautiful morning which I spent doing some laundry, some trip planning, some cleaning and some homework as I start my Spanish classes again on Monday…….I then went to town I had lots of chores to do and then off to poker which is where the strange thing happened I LOST>>>>>>>>100 pesos..not often I loose.

I then went and picked up something I had made any guesses what I use this for!!!!

Will tell you tomorrow!!!

I was home in time to grab a bite to eat and then go to town and my final English class! I had arranged for my friend Carol to come to class and teach them the basics of drawing…unfortunately only 7 students showed up which was a first but they had a wonderful time…Carol was a great teacher and the students have some talent!!!

Thanks Carol!!

I cannot begin to tell you how enriched and blessed my life has been by these two years of teaching..I have met and made friends with some wonderful and special people…..I tell them every class how proud I am of them.

Tomorrow night the two other teachers and my self are going to take them out for dinner for their graduation gift!!!!